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Sunday 29 January 2023

Playing with Arteza watercolour pencils

At least the rain has stopped and Dudley is enjoying his walks without having to dodge the rain. Snowdrops are appearing as well, always a sign that Spring isn't too far away. 

Sarn's post for the picks and winner of Challenge # 445 can be found HERE in the Playground.

Santa, after a strong hint or three, brought me a set of Arteza watercolour pencils for Christmas. I spent time the other week making up a colour chart with both dry and wet colours for each pencil - and I finally sat and played properly with them the other day. Still need loads more practice but for a first attempt I was quietly pleased with my Sunday Snippets card:

 
My snippets, ready to begin!

I used:

- 5.5" x 4.25" 'Strathmore Mixed Media' card blank, tent fold. I used a snippet of the Strathmore card for the watercolouring and it's an off-white so I used more of the same card to be sure of a match

- stamped the flower image and the word Hello from the same set onto a snippet of 'Strathmore Mixed Media' card using black Archival ink and a NBUS stamp set by Altenew called 'Bold Floral'

- next used my colour chart to find the best Arteza tcolours I could to go with a couple of patterned paper snippets (from a Honey Bee paper pad called 'Team Tie Dye')

- coloured the image using the Arteza pencils and a fine waterbrush 

- die cut the image with sentiment using a label die from an un-named NBUS set I've had waiting for a first outing for ages

- trimmed the biggest patterned paper snippet to just smaller than the card front then trimmed down the bolder toning strip before gluing it across the paler piece of paper at a jaunty angle and trimming the excess from each side

-glued the patterned panel onto the card front

- threaded a snippet of spotted organza ribbon through the top o the tag and fixed it to the card front using sticky pads (plus the neat trick of adding some glue stick to the pads before actually setting the label in place - just to allow some wiggle room)

- stepped away and resisted the urge to add anything else!

The Altenew flower stamp is absolutely gorgeous - really sweet with so many potential ways of colouring it.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #46 - the stamp set was having a first outing along with the label die - and also the Arteza watercolour pencils of course

Dudley Pupdate - with the improvement in our weather, Dudley is back to his usual walks routine. To be honest, he's never been a dog who leaps up and down with joy at the sight of his harness and lead. Sometimes, he actually zips under my desk out of the way if I'm not fast enough to stop him. But, once he's out he's fine - he wiggles his perky little rear end all the way (Havanese trait) and we're sure he's all the brighter for it! It's still not quite Purple Peril weather but, when the three of us go out together for a walk/ride together, Dudley is raring to go and doesn't pull to come back home either. It means he doesn't actually favour either one of us - he's happiest when we're all three together - UNLESS one of us is in the kitchen preparing a meal of course!

Dudley has his annual trip to our vet for vaccinations and check up on Friday - fingers crossed all will be fine! Our vet practice is one of the best Animal Hospitals in the county - but, for some reason they just can't keep their vets. All of the vets who know Dudley have left over the past year - and it's nuffin' to do with him either! ☺ We're slightly poised to find another practice if we really find things aren't right. Fingers crossed we won't need to change though.


 
 


16 comments:

  1. That’s a great snippets tag card Di. Such a pretty flower and I love the stitched tag die.

    Good luck at the vets with Dudley. Hope you’re able to get out and about on the Purple Peril soon xxx

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  2. That is a beautiful card Di - well done on how you have used the water colour pencils so well on this gorgeous flower!
    It's frustrating when vets keep changing - I have the same issue!
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  3. Don't know what's happened to our Snowdrops this year, not a sign of them still. Loving the pretty elegant tag card.

    We had check up's and booster last week for Holly, also post op check for Daisy, she's healing but it's slow so back again this week for stitches, bless her though at twelve and a half and she's skipping about like a pup, well as best she can given arthritis.

    B x

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  4. Very pretty floral stamp, beautifully coloured and well matched to the snippet of patterned paper. Hope all goes well at the vet's.

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  5. Fabulous make, loving the background snippet

    Sorry to hear about the issues with Dudley's vets and HOPE it will all work out for the best

    Happy Sunday

    Kathyk

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  6. Gorgeous card Di. Love the addition of the snippet. xx

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  7. I like how you've angled your snippet Di, a lovely card and excellent first go with your pencils. Lovely surprise over on the Snippets Playground too, thank you :) xx

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  8. What a lovely card, like the jaunty background strip, and your colouring is fabulous. How lovely that Dudley just wants you to be all together xxx

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    Replies
    1. Bit of a double edged sword about Dudley - he pines when one of us goes out, even though the other is at home for closeness and comfort.
      He does love the sail a 'tight ship'! x

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  9. You did great with you new watercolour pencils die, and such a pretty flower to go over those delightful papers..a beautiful card. I hope that all goes well for Dudley on Friday. x

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  10. Beautiful coloring with your new pencils, Di! Love everything about this card! Fritz is happiest with everyone together, too. Hope you're happy with the new vet & don't have to change offices. According to our vet, there's a worldwide shortage of vets. Our office was open 24 hrs/day--very reassuring since it's 5 minutes from us. That changed at the beginning of the pandemic & they don't expect to ever go back to 24 hrs/day. So hard to get into vet schools here, so kinda crazy. Maybe there aren't enough teachers.

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  11. A beautiful card and gorgeous colours too Di.

    Sue xx

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  12. Oh, LOVE this card, it looks so sweet and elegant!! Absolutely beautiful snippets of paper and you water coloured the flower so well! I have some new Tombow Aqua markers to try, but they seem not too much simple to blend. Love so much the detail of that cute ribbon on the tag!
    Fingers crossed for the vet, hope he will be careful and gentle with Dudley!
    Hugs

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  13. What a beautiful result with your pencils DI, a gorgeous card.

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  14. Beautiful card Di lovely colouring too with your water colour pencils l have various types of water coloured pencils l must try them out sometime x

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